Reina’s abductors disappeared into the darkness as quickly as they’d appeared. By the time I reached the spot she’d been standing, there was no trace of them.

  I told myself there was nothing I could’ve done. It didn’t make me feel any less powerless.

  Like any sane person, I called the police. Then, I did something much less sane—I got on my bike.

  Fortunately—and unfortunately—I knew exactly where to go for help.

  There were many nice things about having a hard-light bicycle. Comfort wasn’t one of them. Sure, it looks and works like a normal bike, but every piece of it is hard. Say goodbye to suspension, squishy tires, and smooth braking. Regardless, it was faster than walking and there was no time to waste.

  I tore through the empty streets rushing past dim streetlights. It wasn’t long before I arrived at a familiar alleyway. I ditched my bike, letting it shatter against the pavement, and burst through the door of Oracle.

  Lisa sat at her desk, Zero lounged on the couch—neither looked the least bit surprised or concerned. It was my fault for expecting them to react like normal human beings.

  Gasping for breath, I forced the words out. “Friend… kidnapped… help.”

  Lisa approached me, arms crossed. “Sorry, but I can’t help every random passerby who shows up at my doorstep.”

  I blinked. “What?”

  “However, if an employee were to kindly ask me for help, there’s no way I could refuse.”

  I shot her a look that screamed, Really? She didn’t budge.

  I let out a sigh. “Fine, I’ll work for you again. Just please help me save my friend.”

  Lisa beamed. “Of course! What kind of boss would I be if I didn’t support my valued employee?”

  “Okay. Use your future sight or whatever to find where they’re taking my friend.”

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  Lisa scratched her cheek, suddenly sheepish. “Well, having said all that… my ability is hard to control at times. But, that doesn’t mean I can’t try. Now, describe your friend to me. I need to know what I’m looking for.”

  I wanted to complain, but finding Reina came first. “She’s about my age, short black hair, kinda short, slim build, and she’s wearing a bright yellow hoodie.”

  “Alright, let me focus,” Lisa said as she closed her eyes.

  I stepped away and watched quietly. Her eyes moved quickly beneath her eyelids as if she was dreaming. After a minute, she clenched her teeth and furrowed her brow. She was straining herself.

  Lisa took a deep breath and slowly opened her eyes, frustration apparent on her face. “I saw her. But I wasn’t able to figure out where she was.”

  I tried to hold back the desperation that was setting in. “I don’t know how your ability works, but you must’ve seen something else. Walk me through your vision.”

  “Alright. It was dark, then I saw the girl in the yellow hoodie. It looked like she was restrained on an operating table? I don’t know. Then I saw a couple people walk past her. They were wearing black.”

  “They’re probably the ones I had seen. Anything stand out about their outfits or faces?” I asked.

  Lisa stroked her chin. “Hmm... I couldn’t see their faces well, but I do remember a symbol on their clothes. A white semicircle, almost like a closed eye.”

  Suddenly, Zero shot out of the couch and turned toward us. “What did you say?”

  “They had a symbol of a closed eye on their clothing,” Lisa replied.

  “Somnus,” Zero said with animosity. “They’re some kind of underground organization. They tried to capture me several years ago, but I managed to escape. They went silent after that, so I’d assumed they weren’t a problem anymore.”

  “Why’d they want to capture you?” I asked.

  Zero shrugged. “Hell if I know. I got out of there before they could do anything to me.”

  “I don’t suppose they’re at the same place they took you before?”

  “Of course not,” Zero said. “If I had known where they were this whole time, I would’ve dealt with them by now.”

  I sighed. “Well, great. Aside from knowing there’s another shady organization besides us, we’re back to square one. Lisa, was there anything else?”

  Lisa thought for a moment. “There was! I saw a sign. The light was off… but I think it looked like a coffee mug.”

  I frowned. A sign with a mug… plain. Simple. Only one place came to mind . I used my Photon to display an image of the logo. “Did it look like this?”

  Lisa’s eyes widened. “That’s it! How’d you know?”

  “I’ve been to every coffee place in this city at least once,” I said, feeling a bit proud for some reason. “That’s the logo for Cafe Lethe. They make a mean cappuccino.”

  “But what is Somnus doing at a coffee shop? Hardly the ideal place to hide,” Zero said.

  “Or maybe… it’s the perfect hiding spot. Now that I think about it, those cafés all opened around the same time a few years back. What if Somnus has been running them this whole time?” I said.

  “So, it’s a front?” Lisa asked.

  There was one thing I had to confirm. “Are the things you see in your visions ever random?”

  Lisa shook her head. “No. Everything I see is connected one way or another.”

  “Maybe they just stopped by for a drink?” Zero suggested.

  “It’s well past closing, and Lisa specified that the sign was off. If these guys were moving Reina with a plan, they wouldn’t stop at a closed café… unless they had a good reason to.”

  I used my Photon to create a 3D map of the city on the floor. Then, I highlighted the three locations of Cafe Lethe I knew of. Routing from my college, I found which was the closest and circled it.

  “It’s a long shot… but our best chance of finding Reina is here.”

  Zero cracked his knuckles, grinning. “Well? Let’s go get a cappuccino.”